'Canes, Cougars to meet

By ERIC MUSKATEVC
Published February 3, 2005

EAST LAKE - The expected matchup has arrived for second-seeded Palm Harbor U. and top-seeded Countryside, who took care of their semifinal duties Wednesday night.

The Hurricanes got all they could handle from last year's runnerup Clearwater, but edged the Tornadoes 2-1 while the Cougars shut out East Lake 5-0.

"It's going to be the same thing it always is," said Countryside coach Dave Sica of the Cougars' rematch with PHU. "The same thing over and over and over. Two teams going at it with everything."

Countryside will vie to send the Hurricanes home without a district championship for the first time in three years on Friday night at 7.

Cameron Miller put PHU (18-4-3) up 1-0 in the first half, until Clearwater (8-7-3) tied it in the second half after Brian Shriver was good on a penalty kick. But with 10 minutes to play, Thomas Harrington played a lob to Shane Burroughs, who was true on a header to beat Clearwater keeper Alexander Thorn (three saves).

Countryside (19-1-3) fired 16 total shots, nine on goal. Kyle Kuhlman gave Countryside a 1-0 first-half lead and the Cougars played on the offensive all night with David Martinez, Michael Favero, Griffin Gilstrap and Kuhlman scoring in the second half.

Countryside keeper Jeff Attinella recorded his eleventh shutout of the season and had 11 saves on 11 East Lake shots.

SEMINOLE - Something had to go in. And the law of averages, if nothing else, favored Seminole.

With 4:20 on the clock in the second overtime, Richard Legg got control of the ball near the top of the circle, turned and got off a hard shot toward the left corner of the net. This time, it didn't go wide; this time, it wasn't stopped by Northeast keeper Kevin Koenig.

Legg's goal, his second of the night, put Seminole into the Class 5A, District 10 final opposite St. Petersburg, which blanked Pinellas Park 2-0.

"That's the way this game goes," said Warhawks' coach Rick Masi, his team now gunning for its fifth-straight district title. "The team that outperforms the other team will win."

Legg's first goal, at the 60-minute mark, came after a cross from John Mott. From the left side he knocked it into the far corner.

The Vikings found the net on their only real foray into Seminole's end. Damir Mesanovic finished a pass from Chase Lesinger, ricocheting a shot from the right side off the far post and into the net three minutes after Legg's goal.

In the first game, St. Petersburg got a penalty-kick goal from David O'Brien in the first half and some insurance on a goal from Ben Mallue.

"This is definitely what I anticipated," said St. Petersburg coach Ryan Hypio, "hard fought all the way."

- C.J. RISAK, Times correspondent

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:08:13]